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Simple webcam example that captures a frame or video.

Started by Bill Cravener, July 10, 2012, 08:26:04 PM

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Bill Cravener

I was digging around in one of my computer junk drawers last weekend and discovered I had an old Lifecam Show webcam which I can't remember how I came to own. Anyway I installed the software for it that came with the webcam which after installation used some 30M of drive space. Well I thought to myself that's ridicules ridiculous that it took 30M to simply display a capture window with the options to take a frame snapshot or to create a short video from my webcam. After digging around in the Windows API reference I came up with my own little Masm32 webcam app that does just about everything the Microsoft software does and at less then 20K. I have tested my little example on both XP and Windows 7. It enables you to capture a single frame or a 10 second video. Of course you must have some sort of webcam installed on your PC for the app to work.


http://www.quickersoft.com/examples/WebCam.zip

Or it can be downloaded from my site link below.

Example frame capture (size 300K): http://www.quickersoft.com/pictures/CapturedImage.bmp
Example video capture (size 12M): http://www.quickersoft.com/pictures/WebCamVideo.avi


Edit: What is it with me and the word ridiculous?

hutch--

 :biggrin:

I don't keep a webcam but I liked the short video, "You talkin' to me ?"  :icon14:

Bill Cravener

Quote from: hutch-- on July 10, 2012, 10:46:04 PM
:biggrin:

I don't keep a webcam but I liked the short video, "You talkin' to me ?"  :icon14:

:biggrin:

Hi Steve,

I was trapped indoors last weekend because it was 100F outside and just too damn hot to be outdoors. Finding that webcam gave me something to play with for a couple days. Like you I have no need for a webcam but it kept me out of trouble while it lasted.

hutch--

Bill,

What is the gadget in the background, it looks like a gym weights machine ?

Bill Cravener

That's my Weider Pro 3650 Gym that hasn't been getting much use lately. I tend to use it during the winter months when I'm not getting any outdoor activity. I've had it a long time, that and my old DP Powermate Treadmill which I do use year round. Funny thing is even though I exercise through out the year I'm still getting them love handles and a bit of a belly. Of course it's probably because the older I get the more I like to eat and at 6' 1" 225 pounds I need to exercise a might more me thinks. :biggrin:


Gunther

Nice picture, Bill.

By the way, I visited your web site and I was surprised. I saw your clock with the right time, but I'm sure that we're living in different time zones. What is your trick?

Gunther
You have to know the facts before you can distort them.

jj2007

Quote from: Bill Cravener on July 10, 2012, 08:26:04 PMmy own little Masm32 webcam app that does just about everything the Microsoft software does and at less then 20K

You need to express that in Megabytes for Windows 8 users to understand, Bill:

"does just about everything the Microsoft software does and at less than 0.012MB, of which 0.0077 for an embedded image"

:t

dedndave

yes - nice image and video
great quality

the one thing i see is that programs like skype, yahoo messenger, etc require some sort of standardized driver interface

not that i need a cam - noone wants to look at my ugly puss   :(

Bill Cravener

Hi Gunther,

That's just a simple Adobe Flash clock I put together. It simply retrieves whatever your local system time is and displays it as an analog clock.


Jochen,

I'm willing to predict that Windows 8 will be a total failure and Billy Gates will fire Ballmer's ass shortly there after. :biggrin:


Quotenot that i need a cam - noone wants to look at my ugly puss   

That's just not true, I'd bet money Z loves that ugly face of yours. :biggrin:



Gunther

Bill,

QuoteThat's just a simple Adobe Flash clock I put together. It simply retrieves whatever your local system time is and displays it as an analog clock.

Good trick.

Gunther
You have to know the facts before you can distort them.

Bill Cravener

Thanks Gunther,

Flash is disliked by many but I feel it has its uses. For example I use it a good bit on Knievel Cycles web sites because it enables me a means to present their motorcycles and the many optional features they offer to a customer when designing a custom built bike. I think there was an effort to kill Flash on mobiles especially by Apple but the demand for its use and the popularity of ActionScript keeps it going. I mean who doesn't use sites like YouTube and it seems all the big news and business sites use Flash for banners and such. I don't see Flash dying off anytime soon even though some would like it to. :biggrin:

dedndave

flash is like guns - lol
the guns aren't bad - some people that use them are

flash can be an annoying advertisement or a well-presented interactive graphic

gscundiff

Anyone know where I can get the Webcam.zip file now?

dedndave

they're probably still on the site
he must have moved them, is all   :P

Gunther

Hi gscundiff,

Quote from: gscundiff on January 15, 2013, 07:37:37 AM
Anyone know where I can get the Webcam.zip file now?

I think Bill can help you.

Gunther
You have to know the facts before you can distort them.